The Regular
by Storylady35
Summary: Each Thursday, so regular the clocks are set by it, a young woman walks into Uncle Joe's Café, orders a hot chocolate and a treacle tart and sits in the corner. But who else sits in this little quiet café? *One-Shot*


Big thanks to xxxren195xxx on deviantart Their image, Cold Winter Inspired this story! YAY! Thank you!

The Regular

Uncle Joe's Café isn't the biggest or the best in town. But they do have amazing homemade cakes, the staff are fast on their feet and always smiling. Plus the Wi-Fi is free.

But that isn't really important.

The important part is a small table at the back that overlooks the till and counter.

But that isn't really important either.

What is important happens every Thursday, so regular the clocks are set to it.

A woman in a purple coat walks in, orders a hot chocolate with marshmallows and a treacle tart and goes to that table with her purchase, sitting there with her head down and a smile on her face as she eats before leaving.

All year round for the last three years she had this same pattern, Thursday, hot chocolate, treacle tart and the same table, sits for about half an hour then leaves. Each member of staff knew her by name and often saved her a tart when they were selling fast.

She had two purple coats, one long and thick for the winter and autumn and a short cotton one for summer and spring. Sometimes she wore a scarf, sometimes she wore a hat, sometimes she had it open and sometimes it was tucked up tight. But always one of those two coats.

One day she went to her table with her tray of food and found it occupied by a young couple. She wasn't so picky on her table, she moved away and found a different seat on the bench. She sat and drank, picking at her tart as she did.

People moved around her and said nothing to her so she kept her eyes down and silent.

"Excuse me." Someone grunted as they brushed past, knocking her with a heavy laptop bag.

The regular blinked out of her trance just in time to stop the bag knocking over her drink. "Watch it."

"Sorry. Dam thing's too big."

She sighed and went back to her thinking. "It's fine. I'm almost done anyway." And with that she scoffed the last of her pudding and wiped her mouth on a napkin. As she stood, she spared a moment at who'd interrupted her and met eyes of gold. But she wasn't bothered, she just wanted to make eye contact with someone.

The man frowned as she broke away and sighed deeply. "Everything alright?"

"I'm fine. Just having one of those days."

"Oh? Why? What's up?"

"Nothing. It's just…" She shrugged and sighed again. "One of those days."

"Want to talk about it?"

Her eyes turned back to him, intrigued. He was at least seven years older than her and dressed in a silver jumper and jeans, like a stereotypical English student. "You don't know me, why would you want to know?"

"I know you come here every week, just like me and you sit alone. You always look like the world is on your shoulders. Why don't you tell me about it?"

She grinned a little and shook her head. "Maybe next time."

"Alright." And with that, his eyes dropped to the food before him and he began to eat.

Rin raised an eyebrow then left, forgetting the strange man instantly.

~#~

The next week, Rin went up to the counter and got her order. Again her table was occupied but this time it was by that golden eyed boy in his sweater and jeans, laptop by his side. He was looking at her and nodding to the chair opposite him. After a moment to think, Rin went over and sat, taking her food off the tray and putting it before her.

The man nodded and held out his hand. "Don't think I actually introduced myself last week, I'm Sesshomaru."

"Rin." She said, shaking his hand then sighing, going to her meal.

They sat and ate for a moment in silence then Rin gave another sigh and Sesshomaru blinked. "What's wrong?"

"Just one of those days."

"You said that last week."

"Well, I'm having another."

He took a drink then put his mug down. "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing."

"Must be something. Just tell me, let it out."

"I dunno, just… stress. Family, work, college… friends… money… you name it."

"Humm."

She sighed again and stared at her drink, poking the marshmallows with her finger. "Sometimes I just think… why? Why do I care? Why do I bother?"

"That's just the way life is. Sometimes… you do wonder why. Why is it raining when I'm wearing my new suit? Why is my brother coming the same day I have a meeting? Why is the world just…"

"Not playing fair."

"Yes, exactly, not playing fair."

Rin smiled and took a drink, staring at the table. "Do you ever get that feeling that… one day the world will find a new target?"

"And stop picking on you? Yes, I do."

"Do you think that day will come?"

"Has to, eventually. And then everything will be… easy and steady again."

"Yeah, that would be nice. If for once… it doesn't start raining on the one day you forget your umbrella. If for once…"

"For once you get to the car _before_ the ticket runs out."

"Yes! And if when you get to the front of a queue, the person before you doesn't have some… stupid request…"

"Or can't find his card. I know how you feel."

"And how about… you go out for one item in particular and it's in the _first_ shop you look in."

"Oh I know that feeling."

Rin giggled a little and smiled as she looked up at him. He was smiling a little back, his eyes lazily open. "I needed that."

"You looked like you did. We should do this more, sit together I mean."

"That would be nice."

"Alright… I'll… be here next week."

"Me too."

They fell to a peaceful silence as they ate and drank for a bit.

"How about no crying kids in a cinema."

"You'll never get rid of those, no matter how good your luck."

~#~

The months past and every Thursday, Rin would turn up and the café and either find Sesshomaru already sat down or she's sit and he'd be in a few minutes behind. They would sit and moan and talk and laugh for half an hour then they'd part.

It became a very informal friendship, meeting for half an hour and talking about anything.

Around Christmas, as Uncle Joe's set up the decorations, Rin and Sesshomaru sat with the regulars, Rin's hot chocolate with marshmallows and treacle tart and Sesshomaru with his cappuccino and lemon tart. They were talking of their plans for the holiday but soon they ran out of time and parted.

As Rin pulled her coat and gloves on, Sesshomaru called out her name. "Hey, Rin, I think you dropped something?"

"Oh?" She quickly patted herself down, coating the lumps in her pockets. "Don't think so."

"Here, I saw it fall from your bag."

He held out a dark blue envelope, passing it to her then shrugging. "Well, see you next week."

Rin looked at him as he walked away then looked at the envelope. It was addressed to her and she opened it quickly, even if it was against her rule.

The card inside was very pretty, with a moonlit snow scape of a small town. Inside was writing.

"_To Rin. Thanks for making my Thursdays a little brighter. Merry Christmas. Sesshomaru."_

Staring at it for a moment, Rin sighed then put the card back in the envelope and left it on the table, walking away.

~#~

Sesshomaru sighed as he looked at his watch. Where is she?

~#~

"Rin!"

Rin sighed as she looked at the ground. "Sesshomaru… what are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you. Where have you been?"

She kept her eyes away from him, staring at the floor. "Rin? Rin, I've been worrying about you. It's been months. Where have you been?"

"Away."

"Do you have any idea how much I worried about you? I came here every day, every single day, trying to find you, trying to see you again. You really worried me."

"Why?"

"You're my friend." He stared at her for a moment then sighed. "Have you been avoiding me?"

"Yes."

He sighed and watched her look away from him. "Has this anything to do with the card?"

She remained silent then turned away. "Yes."

"Why? I just wanted to give you something for Christmas. Was that so wrong?"

She stared at the floor and her eyes narrowed, tears forming in them. "Yes."

"Why? It was just a… a card! A gift! Something I thought would make you smile!"

"You chose the wrong day to give it."

"Well, I can't help that."

Her eyes look up at him as water ran down her cheeks. "Just forget me."

On the spot she turned and ran out of the café, Sesshomaru hard on her heals. She ran up the high street and towards the main road that ran along at the top. The man behind her figured she was going for the crossing but she kept running, not slowing, not changing direction…

Straight into the traffic.

A car screeched for a second, horn and breaks trying to get out of the young woman's way but there wasn't time.

The collision was coming.

When her arm was grabbed and she was pulled back, out of the way as the car carried on, not wanting to know if there had been a collision. But the woman was safe, wrapped tight in the silver haired man who'd been chasing her. No one bothered to stop and ask what had just happened, they went on with their normal lives.

The man let out a deep breath as he'd been running then lost it. "Rin, what the hell were you doing?"

She held him tight, his shirt pressed into her nose, crying. "Let me go."

His hands held her tight, following her unsaid request to be held. He hunched his shoulders and kept his grip tight. "Rin… can I tell you a story?"

She sniffed and shrugged.

"Well, five years ago, I was where you are now. College was failing me, my girlfriend had just left me, my family was bad, I just lost my job… the whole world was against me. And one day I was going to do what you are now… I was going to just… give up. I made my mind up, I was going to climb a parking lot and… jump. End it."

Wiping her eyes, Rin looked up at him. His face was grave and serious. "What happened?"

He huffed once. "On my way there, I was in such a daze, that I… bumped, into this young teenager." His grip tightened. "In a purple coat."

Rin blinked as she looked up at him and he looked at her. "Really?"

"Yes. And she looked at me and asked what was wrong. You know what I said? I said 'I'm just having one of those days. My luck has just run out." He shrugged, looking away. "I have no idea why I said that but… she just giggled and reached into her pocket, pulling out a two pence coin then said to me 'want to test it?' and she flipped it high into the air and caught it in one hand."

Rin snuggled her face into him. "Heads or tails?"

"And I picked heads." He smiled cool and gently at Rin. "I have no idea what she would have done if it had been tails. But she smiled, gave me the coin with one last word of advice."

Rin nodded, remembering. "_No matter how bad it looks, there are two sides to every coin."_

"And then she went off on her way. And I stood there with this coin and I thought to myself… 'heads I jump'." His hands tightened on her coat. "Guess what came up."

Smiling, Rin held him even tighter then looked up, tears leaking down her face.

"You know what I said next? I said, head's I meet that woman again." He smiled and placed his head on her hair. "You were right… my life turned around after that. I got a new job, better than the last. My grades went up, my family got off my back and everything became right. But I couldn't find you. I looked for years. I've been looking for you ever since." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the large copper coin, holding it flat in the palm of his hand. "I use it for all my decisions now. It even lead me back to you again. I was looking for lunch and there it was the café… I asked the coin and I go in… and then comes in a young girl in a purple coat… and I knew it was you. It took me a few weeks to get your routine down and I spent weeks just trying to pluck the courage to talk to you."

Rin chuckled as she hugged him a little more. "You know, deliberately being in a place where you know another is going to be… that's got to be a definition of a 'stalker'."

"Then I'm a stalker. But that coin of yours led me back to you and I'm not letting you go again." Leaning back, he held the coin in her eye sight. "Heads or tails?"

Rin continued to smile as she hugged him and looked at the coin. "Tails."

The man quickly flipped the coin and grabbed it. A woman's profile looked back at him. He frowned at it then let go of Rin, stepping back and slapped the coin into his other hand, effectively flipping it. And three feathers from a crown came into view.

Grinning at his cheat, he let out a strange sound and put it back in his pocket while his other hand grabbed Rin's cheek then used it to lift her up and kissed her.

It didn't take long before Rin's hands were in his hair and he was smiling down at her while he held the kiss and her.

~#~

A week passed and at Uncle Joe's café, two figures walked in, one in a purple coat the other in a jumper and jeans. The woman behind the counter looked up with a smile. "Ah, hello Rin, Sesshomaru. What can I get you today?"

The two looked at each other then smiled. "The regular." They said in sync with each other then proceeded to have a private grin as the woman put her head on his shoulder.

**The end**

**A/N: And again, just a little something I came up with. My next real story is still in the works but stay with me people. :D **


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